Eagles Coach Pederson Not Concerned About DE Brandon Graham Not Being at Offseason Program

Following the lead of Eagles top football executive Howie Roseman a day earlier, coach Doug Pederson on Friday said he too is not terribly concerned about the departure of defensive end Brandon Graham from the team’s voluntary offseason program, Nick Fierro of the Allentown Morning Call reports.

Speaking before the opening practice of rookie camp, Pederson gave no indication of any dissatisfaction.

“I love Brandon,” Pederson said, “and obviously he and I have a great relationship. He’s been here. As you guys know, this is a voluntary offseason program, so a lot of this is out of my hands. But he’s a guy that’s valuable to the football team and I’m not worried about him at all.”

Pederson is not sure if Graham will return for Organized Team Activities (OTAs), which begin on May 23.

“He and I have had conversations as I do with a lot of the players,” Pederson said. “Again, the expectation is would I like him here? Yeah. Voluntary? I got it. And that’s the hardest part as a coach is when you’re working on that type of schedule. It’s hard. But at the same time, he’s a guy that’s a veteran player, understands his role, understands his assignment, and [we] expect big things from him this season.”